Mother charged after 3-year-old shot himself with unsecured gun, authorities say
A Detroit mother is facing a felony charge of violating the state's safe storage law after authorities say her 3-year-old son shot himself with an unsecured handgun last week.
According to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, when Detroit police responded to a reported shooting at a home in the 11400 block of Saint Patrick Street on Sept. 6, officers found the child suffering from a gunshot wound to his head and took him to a hospital.
"It is alleged that the child found an unsecured handgun in the home and shot himself in the head," according to a news release from the prosecutor's office.
Detroit police on Monday said the child has been released from the hospital.
The child's mother, Tiara Shardae Taylor, 38, is charged with a firearms safe storage violation, according to the prosecutor's office. If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison. She was arraigned Sunday in Detroit's 36th District Court and given a $250,000 personal bond. She is due back in court on Sept. 17.
Attempts to reach Taylor for comment were unsuccessful.
More: Detroit boy, 3, in critical condition after accidentally shooting himself with mother's gun
Detroit Police Chief James White said last week that the 3-year-old's mother had allegedly placed the gun on a dresser when she returned home from work, the child found it and accidentally fired it.
“This is another case that illustrates the tragic consequences of failure to secure a weapon," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement Monday. "Children shooting themselves is completely avoidable if people will secure their weapons."
Contact Gina Kaufman: gkaufman@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit mother charged with violating Michigan safe storage law
